(on weight at BYU) “My senior year in high school I was about 185 pounds. and 6-5 so that’s pretty skinny. I got to BYU, and I got to about 210, so I was a little bit bigger but very undersized for the tight end position.”

(on wanting to be a tight end) “I wasn’t anticipating moving to tight end, but quickly after spring they made the switch.”

(on admiration of Jerry Rice and Steve Young) “I grew up in southern California so we always watched the 49ers. I was a big fan of Steve Young. He was a BYU guy as well. Ricky Waters, Jerry Rice and that whole crew was a football team growing up so its kind of special to be in this position, especially to be able to go against a team that I idolized growing up.”

(on catching his first NFL touchdown pass) “Last season, I played Thursday night football on Thanksgiving day and it was my first touchdown in my NFL career. I happened to come across the 49ers.”

(on career growth after first touchdown) “You know, it’s grown a lot. I’ve gotten more opportunities to contribute and I;ve been able to make the most of those opportunities. That’s what this league is about. When you get an opportunity you’ve got to be able to capitalize and over the past few years I’ve been able to do that.”

(on Joe Flacco’s contract) “Joe isn’t one to worry about contracts, negotiations and all that. I think he is focused on football, which has helped him. He’s a confident player. He knows that he’s going to go out, play well, and all that other stuff will work itself out. He’s played great for us in the post season and really gotten into a rhythm. He’s the reason why we’re sitting here today.”

(on chemistry with Joe versus former QB Max Hall) “I was related to Max so that certainly helped. Max and I were really good friends in high school, college rather, and had a great relationship. I think when you have that kind of relationship with a quarterback it certainly helps. You develop a trust on the field as well, which is important. Although I’m not related to Joe, we’re pretty good friends.”

(on admiration of Flacco) “He doesn’t worry about what other people say. He’s been highly criticized throughout his career for whatever reason. He stays confident, consistent, poised and doesn’t let anything distract him. That’s what I admire about him. He just continues to play well for us.”

(on what offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell has done for Flacco) “Jim’s done a great job of making sure that Joe’s fundamentals are solid. I think as an offensive coordinator he’s given Joe an opportunity to get a rhythm in games and get comfortable. You’ve seen that over this last stretch that we’ve had.”

(on any change in Joe’s confidence) “You know I don’t notice a difference, he’s been the same guy from day one. I think that’s what makes him good. He stays consistent and confident all throughout. This time around he’s getting the chance to showcase what he’s capable of.”

(on Flacco’s calls at the line of scrimmage) “He’s always had enough freedom to make calls at the line and get us in the best possible situation for every play. I think he does a great job of decision making during the play and getting the ball to the right guy.”

(on being more productive after a catch) “That’s not anything I’ve noticed. You try and catch it and run as much as you can. I think in college they paid a little more attention to you when you get the ball. You’ve got a little bit of a tighter window from your coverage I guess.”

(on 49ers defense) “We expect them to be very good. They’re one of the best defenses in the NFL. Top to bottom they’ve got talented players all over. We’ve got our work cut out for us all week, and it’s certainly a challenge but we’re excited to play.”

(on ideal Sunday) “After 60 minutes of football, having that confetti fall on you and know that you’re world champions. That would be a perfect outcome for us.”

(on playing in the Superdome against Tulane in college) “That was a fun game. I think we had more fans there than they did. So playing in a venue like that is huge, even when it’s not packed. Fortunately, I got a little bit of experience playing in that venue.”

(on being a vital part of the offense) “You just have to be that much better. You have to be that much more prepared for the looks that they’re going to give you. I saw a lot of that in New England. I don’t think there was one time where I got a free release off the line. I always had one or two guys jamming me every time. For you to even get in the route, you just have to do a great job on your releases and get away from the guys that are trying to knock you out and take you away.”

(on not having to face media again until after the game) “The whole media aspect of the week has been fun actually. As much as we have to do, it can be tiring for some. I got to speak broken Spanish for a bunch of interviews. It’s been a good time. It will be nice to get that portion over wthl and really start to focus on this game.”

(on any experience as preparation) “The postseason is probably the most experience I’ve had playing on a stage like this. I didn’t play in a BCS Championship game or national championship, so I don’t really have any experience there. I didn’t really play in any big high school games. You know, we played in a couple of AFC championship games and there’s a lot of pressure there just like there will be on this one, but not to this extent. You just have to focus on football and make it about that.”

(on 49ers defense compared to last year) “They’re real similar, a lot of the same players. Obviously, they’ve added a great pass rush and all these spins on the outside that wasn’t around when we played them last year. The key factor is their ability to get to the quarterback and that’s the guy you have to account for. They’re better than they were last year, but real similar.”

(on playing indoors) “We play a lot of games outdoors. It will be nice to play one indoors. We won’t have to worry about the weather, the wind, the cold or anything like that. I think we’re all pretty excited about it.”